pity party

Am I the only one, that when things go wrong, it feels like a personal attack? You know I try not too, but when one thing after another happens...it's hard to not feel like you are being conspired against.

Friday afternoon we were given a notice that we would be having an 8 hour water outtage on Monday, from 8-4. 7 kids who can't use the bathroom? Hmmm...doesn't sound like my idea of fun. Luckily my friend was able to find someone else to watch her kids.

So I decided Sunday night, to get up really early and get a shower in and some laundry. But around 4 the power goes out. Of course. No alarm clock goes off. You would think that a power outtage wouldn't wake kids up in the middle of the night. I mean it's dark right? Wrong. All the air conditioning and fans go off also. Suddenly their rooms are stifling. Leaving me with 4 kids up very early.

It finally goes back on and so I go downstairs to check my email.No internet, no phone. We have a bundle pkg. so if one goes...they all go. Took awhile but we finally get it back on. Hurry to go take a shower before the water goes off. No laundry done but at least I will get a shower.

We keep checking and finally at 11am the water goes off. In the back of my mind I am wondering if they are going to get it back on by 4. We went off for the day and came home around 4. And the water finally came back on at 9pm. Now we have the opportunity to boil all of our water until further notice.

Today I hurried to catch up on housework. I am in the zone and getting everything done. I break out the vacum and all of a sudden it goes off.I think maybe it's the outlet.Nope. Won't work in any outlet I try. This vacum is less than a year old and now I have to go and get a new one. 4 kids and a dog with no vacum? yuck. Not happening. I can't find the warranty, of course. Which is just one more reason for me to finally get organized.

Frustrated? Yep. Annoyed? Yep. Will it get better? Yep...eventually!

harm's blog...again

OK, I told Harm she could have her own blog, BUT, I signed her up under me. So she wanted to have an "about me" button and have it say Harmony. Which meant that all my stuff was now Harmony's. Confused yet?! So once again, Harmony has a new blog. The address is http://harmonysgazette.blogspot.com

So you can now visit her there. And be sure to answer her poll about your favorite animal while you are there! :)

blogs, blogs, blogs

I reminded Harmony that she hasn't updated her blog in a while, and we decided to move her over to Blogger.I like using this program better than wordpress. So you can check out her blog at She will be adding a poll later and so I am sure she would love for you to stop by and choose what your favorite animal is!

drenched

Harmony wasn't the only one who had fun the other day. Ivan had fun getting completely drenched! I may be a little biased, but doesn't he look cute?! Dripping from head to toe. Ah summer days!

regular scheduled programming

As of late, my blog hasn't quite been the "happies place on Earth". But as my blog is the journal of my life, it's not all sunshine and roses right? The key is to find those bright spots during the darker moments.

The other day, Harmony let me know that, " I have not had ANY fun this summer." None. Zip. Zero. Zilch. This was said, of course, in the most dramatic way possible. As I have replaced boxes of popsicles, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, cleaned up after friends who have come over, dried beach towels, cleaned up McDonalds wrappers, listened to Camp Rock over and over, and cleaned up her artwork in my scraproom, I beg to differ. And these pictures are just some of my proof. :)

thank you

I can not believe the overwhelming amount of support that I have been getting. Some from friends and family that I have known for a long time. And others who I have known for a very short time. Everyone has been so kind and I just want you to know that it is appreciated and it means so much to me. With Ben being gone, I have felt kind of alone in all this. And now I know it's not true. I know that we have so many people who care about us. I just wanted to say a huge thanks to everyone.

Ivan update

Phew. I made it through. Thank you for all the kind emails, and comments. The appt. went well and we have a diagnosis. Autism. Mild autism, but autism none the less. I feel very overwhelmed but also a sense of relief. At least I know what I am dealing with.

He was given a referral and will be able to go into the Child Find program at the school. He will have some therapies that we will have to do also. The road ahead is...well still unclear.

Knowledge is power. And I intend on doing a lot of research.

anxiety

Today is the day. The day that I have been worried about, thinking about, concerned about and praying about. My stomach is in knots. I didn't sleep well last night as I thought about today. Am I ready?

Today is the day that Ivan goes in for his testing. This day has been looming in my mind for around a year now. And we have finally come to it. What will the doctor say about my Ivan. Have I failed him in some way? Have I not been hands on enough? Have I been to lazy? The guilt is huge.

So many words have been thrown around about Ivan: possibly autistic, ADD or ADHD, developmental delays, " his problems go way beyond speech" a spirited child. And now today is the day where everything begins. I am doubtful that we will get a clear and precise answer today, but hopefully some steps in the right direction.

Is there something going on with Ivan? Or is he a normal 3 year old who is the baby? Is there something more going on than just a few delays? Why won't my son make eye contact with me? Why does he run in circles? Why does he say, "it's all my fault" so much. Why does he have to have everything in perfect order to function? Why can I never know what to expect with him? Is he just being himself?

So many questions and so little answers. Am I ready to deal with the answer that I am given? Only time will tell.

I am sure I am not making any sense. I just need to get my thoughts out there. Prayers are appreciated for us today.

journaling

I always tell people that the most important part of a scrapbook page is the journaling. It is important to know the history behind that picture you are scrapping. Someday your child's child will want to know the story behind the pictures.

Harmony is really getting into scrapbooking. It may have something to do with my new scraproom...But I of course encourage her, on one condition. Every page has to have some journaling on it. I am so mean huh?

So as I was cleaning up her work, I found a cute page. The journaling says, " I am a camper girl. I am an Earth saver girl.The name that mixes these two is Nature Girl. I love the earth and it's elements. I follow the 3 r's (reduce, reuse,recycle). Fire, water, ice and earth. I am Harmony and that is what I am trying to bring to the world."

without fail...

For the love!! There is this phenomenon that occurs when your hubs deploys. Something always goes wrong.Seriously. When Ben left to go clean up Hurricane Ivan, I had car problems,that I had to deal with. When he went to Afghanistan, the kids locked themselves in a room, his truck was towed, had to have a tire changed, termites, almost got charged for the lawn not being mowed. When Ben went to California, we had just sold his truck and I had to frantically get a hold of him to get a paper signed, a problem with the dishwasher, and something else that escapes me at this moment. This doesn't just happen to me. I know many, many, wives who have dealt with this phenomenon. So what is the newest...my van is dead. Won't start. I need to go get a few things, sign a contract for my scrapbook classes, drop off orders and...I have no car. Huge Sigh.

alone...with 7 kids

(Ethan and James playing DS's.James is the one Harm has a crush on...although she insists that she doesn't! That is another post in itself!)

Is that possible? Actually...yeah it is. This weekend was kind of a long weekend for me. I sat around by the computer just waiting to hear from Ben. Anyone who has ever had someone leave knows,that you don't do that. You keep yourself busy...or you drive yourself mad! I know that and yet I didn't do it. The weekend seemed to drag along, while the week flew by.

So what was the difference? I have been watching my friend's children while she goes to school. And as perdicted,they entertain themselves. They play video games,they go to the park, they play Littlest Pet Shop("don't let any of the brothers come in!"), they skate, they blew bubbles, write with sidewalk chalk and make brownies. There is always someone to play with and so they don't come to me with "I'm bored." Except for the occasional, "Sister Turner watch me play this game!" I am pretty much...on my own. Even Ivan is kept royally entertained with my friend's youngest. He is always asking me "where is your baby?". Yesterday he spent the afternoon playing boats with Ivan. Putting him in a cardboard box and pulling him around the living room.

7 kids? Sure I can handle it. As long as some of them go home at the end of the day!

worth it?

I am not so sure!

a Ben update

Whew! Almost one week down. When Ben was in Afghanistan, we were able to IM with each other every single night for an hour. His hotel in Timor, does not have a phone or internet. His local cell phone is at least a dollar a minute to call here. So the only time I get to IM with him is if he is at work. It makes it frustrating but I will take what I can get!!! I can't imagine dealing with deployments back before all of this wonderful technology that we have!!

One of the projects that Ben is helping with is a school. He said that all the kids looked at him like he was Godzilla or something. All of the people there are short, so to see someone as tall as him was a shock. They are also working on a community center.

Other things I have learned while he has been gone are, East Timor supplies 40% of all the coffee that Starbucks uses, all the "American snacks" are about $3-4 dollars more so he is sticking with Indonesian snacks. A pint of Ben & Jerry's was $17! Yikes. The restaraunts offer a lot of Australian food and that they serve rice and french fries with everything. He has been eating a lot of seafood. There are apparently no driving laws over there and so he is hoping to make it home without getting in a car wreck. He is trying to get used to driving on the other side of the street. He described Timor as being a cross between Guam and Afghanistan. Although he said that compared to Timor, Guam is like Beverly Hills. That's kind of a scary thought!

I am enclosing some pictures that he sent. The one with all the statues was taken on his 12 hour stop in Bali. The rest are views from his hotel.

Dominos

summer dilema

Every summer I go through the same thing. The weather is hot and so the kids don't want to go play outside. It is hot and humid and they come in with red faces and sweat dripping off their faces. But if they are not outside, that means they are inside. That means that video games and tv are all they want to do. They have been asking for new video games but at $30-$40 a pop...hmmm...I was looking for something else.

We headed to the Nex and I wanted to find those big huge thing of bubbles but there were none to be had. So we did buy a small thing of bubbles with extra wands, a bucket of sidewalk chalk and then we hit pay dirt in the board games area. It is nice to know that with everything rising in costs...you can still find fun things for cheap. We don't have a dollar store here so we have to take what we can get! We found Monopoly for $3, dominos for $2, Tic Tac Toe for $2 and a Disney princess game to use as a gift for $5.

Ivan has loved the dominos. Not actually playing the game but just lining them up and knocking them over. It is adorable to see his little tongue sticking out as he concentrates. Unfortunatley he has knocked over a lot of the boys towers!

careers

Ivan and I have been reading the same book. Every.single.day. It is called What Should I Do? It is a Dora book and they talk about the different kinds of jobs that people have. And at the end of the book it asks, " If you could be anything what would you be?" So Ivan has decided that he would like to be a cowboy...and a train.

Is there a school for that?

cherries

Growing up, behind our house, was a cherry orchard. You could always find us kids out snatching the yummy cherries from the trees. Ecspecially while playing outside. I really enjoy cherries but generally don't buy them.

Last summer, while we were visiting The Dalles, Christy (or was it Grandma Harmon?) one of the Grandma's anyway, had bought cherries. The kids went to town on them. There faces were covered in the juice and they loved them. Asking me of course why I never buy them.

So the other day, I was at the commissary and there were cherries. From Oregon no less. I looked at the price...6.97 a lb!!! Holy cow. I thought it was a joke. Until my friend told me that she didn't pay attention when she was buying them and bought a small bag for over $10.

Well in an effort to get the kids to eat more fruits and vegi's, we spent some extra time in the produce department today. The cherries were now down to $3 a lb. I told them they were allowed one lb and that was it. They very carefully weighed it and we brought them home. They have really enjoyed them. I don't know how often I am going to spend $3 on a snack that they finished in one sitting but...it was fun to see them enjoy a snack that I ate a lot of as a kid!

big push

OK there are only 12 days left. For what you might me wondering. For me to qualify for the trip to Hawaii!!! So if you have not placed an order please do it now. Think of gifts. Think of aunts, cousins, friends, sisters, daughters etc. Who wouldn't enjoy some nice scrapbooking supplies? There are also more items than just scrapbooking. There is paper, ribbon, adhesive, scissors, trimmers and more. Please help me out! You can email an order to me or go directly through my site

Thanks to all those who have already placed an order! You have all been entered to win the 12 x12 album and I will announce the winner on July 1st.

Thanks everyone!!!

safe & sound

Just wanted to let everyone know, I got an email from Ben last night. He made it to East Timor and is all settled in his hotel. Apparently the hotels don't have phones. Hmmm...so he is going to buy a local cell phone. So until then I don't know much. But I know he made it. Phew.

** Funny story, Ben was reading some travel blogs about East Timor and one of the people who were writing said that they had been their twice. The second time was so much better because they now offered such amenities as toilet paper and chocolate. Doesn't that sound like a place you want to be?!

A tribute

Fathers Day was actually yesterday for us. And as the clock wound down until the time that Ben had to go to the airport, I found myself observing. Watching him interact with all the kids before he left. Ben snuggled on the couch with Connor, watching Star Wars. (Connor got him Revenge of the Sith for Fathers Day, b/c Connor really wanted to see it!) They sat together and were just content to sit. Ethan, is not a cuddler and Ben didn't push it. Giving him a high five instead. Ivan was so crabby (he's not feeling well) and so didn't want anything to do with him. Harmony, on the other hand, was very emotional and kept saying, "please don't go". He held her and comforted her and told her the words that she needed to hear.

I am so grateful for Ben and the wonderful father that he is. Our kids all have different personalities and he doesn't push them to be something they are not. He loves them for who they are.

Ben, unfortunatley, doesn't have the kind of schedule where he gets to spend a lot of time with the kids. By the time he gets off of work, we eat dinner, do homework, there just isn't that much free time left. But he is always willing to play baseball with them, take them out to the garden, take them to the movies, or go swimming. He spoils them like no other. Always wanting to give them whatever they want. You can find him playing legos, building train tracks, designing things for Harmony and just being there. I love you Ben. Happy Fathers Day!

*********************************************************************************

And now onto my father. I have been so bad about getting my cards out on time lately. But it doesn't mean that I haven't been thinking about my Dad. Yesterday at church, the scripture, " I Nephi having been born of goodly parents, wherefore I had learned the way of my Father" (ok not exact quote but...) all I was thinking was amen to that.

I have such wonderful memories of my Dad. From watching Cary Grant movies with him, to raking the leaves in the fall, to the time that he took all of us girls to California with him. We listened to Rick Dees and I remember vividly all of us singing, "That's Amore." But there is something that my Dad did, that he probably doesn't even remember, that has stayed with me.

When I was in high school, struggling with making good decisions, Dad said to me, "Marie if you ever need me as an excuse, do it. I don't care what your friends think of me. I care about you and that you are making good decisions. If you are struggling with "should I go or not" and you feel you shouldn't, but are too embarresed to tell your friends, just roll your eyes and say, " My Dad won't let me."

It just made me realize how much he loved and cared for me. And he still does. I love you Dad, Happy Fathers Day!

brain dump...

Life has been extremely crazy lately. And I have so many little things going on that I have been meaning to blog about...but just haven't. Ben was able to come home early on Friday, and we spent Saturday trying to get things done before he left. Then with church and getting him to the airport....whew. Made for a crazy weekend. So I just need to get stuff off of my brain. Here goes...

**Ben and I decided to upgrade our ipods a little while ago. The upgrade decision came after someone *cough, cough* washed her husbands shuffle. So we decided to get larger ones. The other shuffle was just sitting around, because we didn't want the kids to fight over who got it. Finally, we gave it to Harmony. She has been rocking out ever since. She takes it everywhere. To the store,to bed,to a sleepover, to the park, for walks with Astro etc. I am constantly telling her to turn it down and that no it's not going to church. She has been using the broom as her microphone and dancing around the house. Mommy's little rock star.

** I got an email the other day about my Bali trip. Because of rising costs of fuel, Continental is having to cancel flights from Guam to Bali, starting October 2nd. Our trip was supposed to be for the 16th. They were trying to reschedule, but I am not able to go on any of the dates. I had kind of arranged my schedule around that trip. I am totally bummed. It feels like I am just not supposed to get off this island!!

**Speaking of getting off the island, one year ago, we stepped onto Guam for the first time. We have one year down and one to go. Some friends of ours already have their orders. We won't find out ours for another 6-9 months I am sure, but the thought that we only have one year left is exciting. While there are things we have loved and enjoyed about Guam, I am ready to get back to the states. ( Hello Wal Mart, Target, Old Navy, Applebees, good grocery stores etc)

** I found out, a little too late, that I am not really an animal person. Astro is personally driving me nuts. He has chewed through a series of shoes, a cord to the wii controller and worse of all...the power cord to my laptop. $80 later it was replaced but ouch that stung! The kids however, are more in love than ever. Ethan takes him for a walk every single morning. He is such a responsible little kid. Harmony seeks Astro out, as soon as she makes it home.

** I was vacuming the other day, and a fuse blew upstairs. So only one outlet upstairs works. Of course it happened, when I couldn't call housing. So we have been living with out lamps, clocks, a tv upstairs, night lights. It is like we are in the dark ages. Once I have taken a shower I am going to call housing and have someone come out and fix it.

**When we went for Ivan's well child exam back in Feb., we were told that he might have some developmental delays. Things were going well and than it seemed to take a turn and get worse. I spoke to the Special Ed teacher at the school and he feels that Ivan's situation goes beyond speech. We go to a specialist on the 26th of this month to get him tested. They are looking for delays and possibly ADD, or ADHD or possibly even being on the autism spectrum. We are anxious to go but also nervous to find out.

**And last but not least, I am going to be watching my friend's kids this summer. Well really only for like a month of the summer. Her kids are really close to mine in age. I think it will help keep the kids entertained while Ben is gone. I know Harmony is looking forward to having a girl to play with. My only concern is that, I think Harmony may have a crush on her son. He is in her church class and they were also in the same class at school. She talks about him all the time and her little face turns red whenever you ask her about him. She also does a lot of giggling when he is around. Hmmm

WEll I think that is it. I know this is a long post but there is just so much going on.

sacrifice

Being a military brat is tough. I am not going to sugar coat it. And I don't think I need too. Moving around a lot, new schools, new friends, fears about what their parent does for a living, dealing with deployments etc.

Because of some problems in the travel dept. Ben is not leaving until Sunday. Although we have been getting ready for him to go for a while now. Uniforms started coming out, uploading the kid's pictures on his ipod, buying needed items and all other sorts of prep. The kids really hadn't said anything about it. Until now.

Harmony has been crying at the drop of a hat. Literally. She has burst into tears at least 4 times today alone. She is now playing with some friends, and I hope that puts her in a better mood! Every little thing that doesn't work out perfectly for her, has just brought on a flood gate. My Mother's intuition tells me that she is upset about her Dad leaving. Not that Ethan keeps "stealing" Astro from her. But she is keeping her feelings inside.

Connor on the other hand has been letting me know EXACTLY how he feels...and it is breaking my heart. This is the conversation this morning,
C-" Mom, when exactly is Daddy leaving?"
M-" On Sunday."
C-starts crying, " I don't want him to go. I don't like it when he leaves."
M-" I know sweetie. I don't like it either. But you know what? He is not going to be gone very long this time."
C- " I know. Only 7 weeks. How many days are there in a week?"
M-" There are 7. So 7 weeks times 7 days equals 49. So your Dad is only going to be gone for like 50 days."
C- more tears" That is too long!"
M-" I know Connor. Do you know why Daddy has to go?" He shakes his head. " He is going to a country that doesn't have very much money. And he is going to help them build schools and other buildings, so that the kids can be as safe and as comfortable as you are. He is going so that he can help them. We need to share him with those people for a little while."
C- " I don't want to share him, he's my Daddy."

By this time, I stopped talking and just held him while he cried. Ben said, "this was so much easier when they were little. All I had to do then was kiss them goodbye."

Sacrifice and sharing are not easy sometimes.

to do list

I was making breakfast when I noticed Ethan's to do list on the counter. This is what is on the agenda for today....

*take Astro for a walk
*read my library books
*play with Astro
*play with Tristan
*go to the bathroom
*read my Secrets of Droon book
*eat lunch
*play at the park with my friends
*save the envirment
*play legos
*take Astro out to see his two friends

by 8:15...

The words "I'm bored" had escaped from Ethan's lip. At this rate, it is going to be a long summer!

summertime...still

At 11:15 today, the kids will be done with the school year and summer will officially begin. Although, the weather has not changed for a year. We are not looking forward to warmer days, or finally being able to go swimming. We do that year round. It makes the summer sort of anti-climatic.

Growing up, I always looked forward to the summer. Waiting anxiously for the swimming pool to open, and Mom getting us season passes. Every day she would give us some change and we would all go down to Heidi's ( a mini mart) and buy nickel and dime candy. We would hang out at the park until the pool would re-open. We would stay up late to go to the night swim. Going to the library and picking up books. It was such a fun time. Our summers seemed to revolve around the pool.

So while my kids don't have that to look forward to, they are looking forward to, swim lessons, a break from packing lunches, a break from homework, washing uniforms, sleeping in, staying up late and some freedom from schedules, hanging out with friends, lemonade stands, video game marathons and more.

Bring on summer!

creative writing

(the picture was taken at his perfomance on Saturday, where they did all the dances from their cinco de mayo concert)

With tomorrow being the last day of school, the kids are starting to clean out their desks. Harmony's backpack was so weighed down today that she actually ripped a seam. Grrr. Anyway, as I was going through some of Ethan's work, I just had to laugh at these two papers he wrote. ( Creative spelling is Ethan's,not mine!)

"Everyday my brother Ivan brakes my lego creacherus but I didn't hit him. I just built it all over again.The next day I broke my house I mayed. I didn't even care. I just biult it agin. It was cool."

"My friend is Connor. He is my little brother. He is shorter than me. We like to jump rope. He has brown hair like me. We have Lego Star Wars the Complete Saga. We like build it nad then play with. WE love to play video games. Our favorite game is My Sims. We make our own person, a house and a town. We enjoy playing it everyday, except Sunday. Our Mom doesn't let us play on Sunday."

Nothing was written about Harmony though...

question...

How many Turners can fit on one couch? All of them except the one taking the picture. You can only see Ivan's legs, but he was on there!

Connor's turn

On Thursday we headed back up to the school for Connor's ceremony. It is funny how different my two boys are!! Connor was totally relaxed and easy going. Ethan always takes things seriously. He recieved his award and shook hands with the principal and vice principal. Than they all sang some songs...except for Connor. He was totally not into singing and just hung out in the back row. I was thinking "like father like son" the whole time!! And that was it. Short and sweet. Luckily I had magnetix and Knex to keep Ivan entertained, since the program was right during nap time!

business

OK, so I know that some of you who read my blog, already recieved this email. But there are those who read my blog that I don't have email addresses for. So you are just going to have to deal with it. :)

My upline for Close to my Heart, is offering an incentive trip, for those who make a certain amount of sales in the month of June. The trip? An all expense paid trip to Maui!!! I forgot to put in my email that I have a 1/5 chance of winning. Yeah, not bad odds huh?

So if you scrapbook or stamp, or if you know someone who does....please place an order! Think of birthdays, Christmas gifts and more. Close to my Heart has such a huge variety of great products that you can choose from.

For all those who place an order, I will enter you in a drawing for a 12x12 dark cocoa album.

You can order through my site ( the link is on the side of my blog)or call and/or email me with an order. If you have any questions please ask. And if you could pass this onto any friends who scrapbook,it would be much appreciated.

**Ben doesn't think I can get enough sales,so help me prove him wrong ok?!

one word

My friend Beth, sent this to me as a foward, but I am going to do it on here. So let's play...Not as easy as you might think. Now copy or forward, change the
answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one
word answers.

You can only type one word. Send it to people including the person
that sent it to you.

1. Where is your cell phone?kitchen
2. Where is your significant other? work
3. Your hair? wet
4. Your mother? Awesome
5. Your father? Amazing
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? wierd
. Your dream/goal? confidence
9. The room you're in? living
10. Your hobby? scrapbooking
11. Your fear? mice
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy
13. Where were you last night? garden
14. What you're not? skinny
15. One of your wish list items? cricut
16. Where you grew up? Washington
17. The last thing you did? email
18. What are you wearing? clothes
19 Your TV? on
20. Your Pet? Astro
21 Your computer? sony
22 Your mood? content
23 Missing someone? yep
24 Your car? Kia
25 Something you're not wearing? ring
26 Favorite store? Target
27 Your summer? sweaty
28 Love someone? Yes
29 Your favorite color? blue
30 When is the last time you laughed? today
31 Last time you cried? hmmm

OK I tag...Mom, Darla, Susan, Cindy, Mary, Tammy Have fun girls!

goodbye 1st grade

(proud Mom and a REALLY happy Ethan!)


(getting his medal for reading counts...he read more than 100 books this year!)
(with all his awards)


(All of the 1st graders)

Ethan had his end of the year awards ceremony today! He has had such a fun year and really has learned a lot!! He started reading, writing nice long complete sentences, his handwriting is wonderful. He has loved taking Chamarro culture and loves learning spanish. He is going to go so far, I know it. OK, I know I am his Mom and I may be a tad partial but...he did such a good job this year.

Connor's is tomorrow and 3rd grade isn't even having one! Poor Harmony!